Amazon released its 2024 sustainability report on Wednesday. These are some of the updated metrics that the e-commerce giant shared in a short section addressing its packaging evolution.
Packaging mix didn’t change much in North America
Amazon defines its three main packaging types as flexibles (plastic or paper), cardboard and ships in product packaging. Those categories barely shifted in 2024.
| Region | Year | Flexibles | Cardboard boxes | Ships in product packaging |
| North America | 2023 | 51% | 36% | 13% |
| 2024 | 50% | 37% | 13% | |
| Global breakdown | 2023 | 50% | 38% | 12% |
| 2024 | 50% | 38% | 12% |
Ships in product packaging rate stagnates, but ‘incentives’ grow
The last few years, Amazon has been pushing for more of the products it ships to be sent in their own packaging, without added Amazon packaging.
While there was no year-over-year change in the 13% of North American packages shipped using this method, Amazon says the program is growing. In 2024 the program extended to “Fulfillment by Amazon” sellers, which can now enroll to participate in SIPP in North America and Europe and save on Amazon packaging costs. “This led to nearly 2 million new seller products becoming certified to ship in their own product packaging in North America and Europe through seller engagement, machine learning, and product testing in 2024,” Amazon reported.
“As this program expands, we are creating incentives in certain regions to shift to packageless delivery and working with others to improve packaging,” the company wrote.
Brand partnerships are an important part of this effort. Amazon gave the example of working with SC Johnson to redesign its Method body wash packaging to be eligible for SIPP. The redesign reduced the product’s overall packaging volume by 63%, cut down the number of packaging components from three to one and eliminated secondary plastic packaging in the process, Amazon reported.
Plastic’s role in shipments declines
Overall, Amazon reported a 16.4% global reduction in single-use plastic delivery packaging.
Just 37% of 2024’s shipments in North America contained single-use plastic delivery packaging, down from 65% in 2023. Additionally, more than half of North American fulfillment centers (56%) did not ship plastic delivery packaging. This came amid a major push last year to replace all plastic air pillows with paper filler. Meanwhile, in Europe, Amazon doesn’t use any plastic in outbound delivery packaging.
For plastic replacement, Amazon continues to invest in paper, noting efforts to retrofit automated packing machines at fulfillment centers to create made-to-fit paper bags.
Amazon also noted innovation efforts, such as working with Mondi to develop an alternative to plastic-based bubble wrap. The result was a fully paper-based, recyclable mailer with a protective paper lining, which rolled out across European operations in 2024.
The company also highlighted work with cardboard supplier Shorr Packaging, which joined Amazon’s Climate Pledge, and Pregis, which obtained “Amazon-provided renewable energy credits to support the decarbonization of its converting operations.”
